The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) was established in 1937, and is the nation's fourth largest housing authority with an annual budget of $364 million. PHA houses nearly 80,000 people in the City of Philadelphia, and employs over 1,400 people to deliver services to its clients. In August 2012, PHA adopted a Sustainability Policy and appointed a Sustainability Working Group to represent all departments in the agency. In August 2013, PHA received full accreditation as a Sustainable Performance Agency from HUD and the Sustainable Performance Institute.

In committing to the goals of the Better Buildings Challenge, PHA has adopted and is currently implementing key strategies that include: (1) creating a new Green Operation and Maintenance Manual; (2) applying green construction standards for new and retrofit projects (using Enterprise Green Communities standards); and (3) setting energy performance standards for products to be purchased for new construction and retrofits. PHA has also committed to educate residents and staff to be more engaged in reducing energy usage. To monitor compliance with, and the progress of, these strategies, PHA has created a Green Action Plan with timelines, benchmarks and responsible parties assigned to ensure success.